


The Comicality of Dr. Hannibal Lecter

by carrofelicia



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Angst, Episode AU: s02e13 Mizumono, Fluff, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter is a Cannibal, Humor, M/M, Pre-Episode: s02e13 Mizumono, Someone Help Will Graham, Will Graham Knows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:28:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28712025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carrofelicia/pseuds/carrofelicia
Summary: Will Graham goes through his plan of pretending to be Hannibal’s friend. Instead, he only learns the comicality of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and lets it influence him – Because what else can he do?(This fic includes list of “What makes Hannibal a comic character”)
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 26





	The Comicality of Dr. Hannibal Lecter

After Will Graham’s incarceration, the profiler did the stupid decision of returning to Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s therapy sessions, with an agenda of making the good doctor believe he has accepted his own darkness. Will can cover this plan 80%, but he knows 20% is enough for Hannibal to turn the tables. Oh, but dear Will Graham’s darkness extends to himself, anyway. He doesn’t mind dying, just as much as he doesn’t mind killing nowadays.

Will still cannot empathize with the doctor, his mental bowels still unreachable, still a void for the profiler who can tap anyone’s mind spaces. Nonetheless, he never met anyone like the Chesapeake Ripper so he cannot really read him even by association. With that reason alone, he cannot explain why Hannibal had not smelled the true purpose of his obviously pretentious friendship. All he can do is to go through the plan and wait for the predator to pounce _IF_ the time comes.

The plan has went well – too well – for Will’s taste. The cannibal has been besotted and blind to the point of sharing his every life detail to the profiler who is still, by the way, working for the FBI. Will was aware of Hannibal’s romantic affections, and due to its overwhelming amount, Will Graham forgot his plan altogether.

**_Hannibal’s comicality, point no. 3:_ ** _He will eventually win, because for some reasons, you will fail without your knowledge._

The hunting trips were just one of the overwhelming activities Hannibal does to show his love for Will. He had invited Will Graham to dinner almost every night that he grew wary of spending huge time away from his dogs.

“So put them all here.” Hannibal suggested as he seamlessly cut a piece of someone’s sautéed liver. He delivered it in a way as if he has a guest room prepared 24/7. He might as well have.

“I—what? Hannibal, they’re dogs. High maintenance, messy, shreddy, chewy…” Will exasperatedly explained. 

Hannibal set his utensils lower to fully face the profiler. “Good thing I have an empty dog garden.”

“Y-you do? You did that for me? Is that how much you love me, really?” Will asked suspiciously.

“You have correct analysis in that department, Will. I do love you very much…” Hannibal shamelessly declared, as Will’s eyes grew in disbelief, feeling awkward. “… but I have a dog garden because I planned on having a pack of Lithuanian hound dogs. It turns out it’s illegal to remove them from their natural habitat recently. I understand the sentiment. They lack natural immunity against city dog illnesses.”

Will agreed to transfer his pack to Hannibal’s empty dog garden, and for some reasons, he overlooked the connotation that he needs to transfer his own essentials little by little. In three weeks, his farm in Wolftrap became a ghost town.

“What’s happening now, Will?” Asked Alana when they met in Quantico. The Doctor, who is way too over-qualified to simply become a substitute teacher for his classes, surprised him with tired eyes and toned-down righteousness.

Will can only sympathize. The woman is finishing a ground-breaking research paper, debunking Frederick Chilton (for the spite of it), and now handling morbid psychiatric classes that shouldn’t be hers.

“What’s happening to what?”

“You showed up in Hannibal’s office looking like a Greek homosexual with tight dress shirt and tight slacks that hugged your ass so good that any ‘cannibal’ would eat it.” Alana said, sipping her coffee under thick eye bags. Her Colorado accent shouldn’t be showing when in professional grounds, but he guessed the situation was so overwhelmingly surprising that she forgot her composure. Will was very surprised, too.

“No I didn’t. Um… I suppose you’re worried for Hannibal?” He just supplied.

Alana paused for a moment. “Oh yeah, you had him attacked back in prison.” She shrugged and continued. “So, is he safe?”

“From me, or for you?”

“From me, because he broke up with me over the phone. Rude. Shockingly rude.”

“I’m sorry Alana. Would you like to meet someone else?”

“Will, I’m not someone who can stoop down to the ‘meet my friend’ dating culture because first, I prefer someone who has promisingly strong psyche.” Now Alana’s demeanor started coming back to her angrily-righteous professionality, probably the coffee and the topic waking her up. “If you think this shallow conversation will goad me into forgetting about the fact that you sent a murderer to my colleague, then think again Graham. Maybe I’m less worried about him, maybe I’m just more worried about the list of killers in USA getting longer. Are you turning into a killer, Will? Or are you one already? Tell me!”

Will’s shoulder stiffened. He is turning into a killer, that bit is true. What he does not prefer is this being the only obvious thing from his plans. His plan is ‘ _complicated_ ’ and ‘ _elaborate_ ’. He is turning into a killer as a part of his ‘ _intricate_ ’ plan, and he prefers not explaining this to the ever-righteous (rational) Alana Bloom who will probably say ‘this shit will not work’. She must convince Alana that her fears are not happening.

What should he say?

What would Hannibal say?

“Perhaps I am guilty, perhaps I am not.” Will started, practically hearing Hannibal in his head. “And the only way to make sure, dear Alana, is to know any other perspective that does not belong to the guilty party. Tell me Alana, would you consider Hannibal’s perspective?”

“Hell no. I heard you moved in with him. Pretty sure he will be covering for you, or he is blinded by you. I will not consider his perspective.”

Of course the news of moving in has come out. He was planning to let Hannibal convince Alana, but he is caught drowning in his shallow puddle-trap. He should just continue acting confident anyhow. “Of course, Alana. You should not, as expected. I wonder if there are other perspectives you could consider. Sadly, none. The only people who can enter our abode aside from you and Jack, are his patients. Too bad I cannot drop a name.”

“Too bad I can.” Alana challenged. “I’ve heard a certain Margot Verger from Freddie’s article. She’s seen coming out of Hannibal’s office and coming into your house. I wonder what she knows.”

Will grimaced upon hearing the name. After getting Margot pregnant, Hannibal tipped the information to Mason, which led to some depressing events. Margot is recuperating and he’d rather not have anyone annoy her.

“I love that expression, Will. Since you were offering that I date one of your friends, I will take this one.”

Oh.

That works, too.

Margot doesn’t know anything about Will and Hannibal’s activities. All she knows is that the pair is helping her survive Mason, which can come off as a little murderously suggestive. Of course Margot would never share that to someone associated with the FBI. Margot cannot say anything, but she can offer as a distraction. Alana will want to help Margot, for sure. And while she does, she will eventually forget about them. Her plan against them will fail.

For some reasons, his previous unplanned pretentious talks worked, ultimately helping him unexpectedly. He did not catch the exact point where he won, but he did. And that’s what matters.

Maybe some of Hannibal’s comicality is rubbing off to him.

*

“Have you really embraced your darkness, Will?” Hannibal asked once as they walk under the western cherry blossoms of the Baltimore private park. The taller man looks at him seriously, his eyes forward and contemplating.

“I’d like to be honest, Doctor.” Will started. He side-glanced to catch Hannibal’s expression, and as expected, he caught displease. “I don’t know why it’s so important that I embrace this darkness you speak of. They are not even my darkness in the first place. They belong to the different killers that I’ve empathized with. They are not mine.”

Hannibal held his hand. “My dear Will, this darkness is not your ability to empathize with someone else’ darkness, because everyone can see one’s darkness at some point. Empathy is a lot more common than you realize. Your darkness is your ease to bestow death to those who do not deserve life. I like that about you, my love.”

“So are most cops, Hannibal. Actually, normal cops are even darker because they can bestow death to someone who do not deserve it.”

Hannibal grimaced like he witnessed someone putting garlic on carbonara. “Distasteful. That darkness is so bland and ugly I might as well go on a murder spree in some of the departments in New York.” Hannibal suddenly looked besotted as he stared at Will. “And I would rather do it with you, my love.”

It was Will’s turn to grimace as if someone served him anchovy tableau suspended in clear jelly. “Righteous murder? Really? You think your murders are righteous?”

“Everyone I have killed deserved their fate, my dear Graham. If the world needed a few psychopaths to keep us on our toes, why not kill two birds in one stone by cleaning up the trash. It could save the planet.” And the cannibal smiled, proud of his pun.

Will sighed. “That argument does not make sense, Hannibal.”

And it somehow made sense for Will, because three days after, he’s standing in a deep puddle of blood as he watches Hannibal elegantly slashing the throat of three policemen who had traumatized one of Hannibal’s patient. The poor man had to go to therapy after being accused of drug dealing as he peacefully walks in the park with his children watching from afar.

Hannibal explained the details to Will, which infuriated the profiler. There was only one cop who did the humiliation, but to somehow remove the accusation from the patient, they had to include the other two who was in road trip with him. Orchestrating evidences was not necessary because the three cops were in the middle of stealing bags of cocaine from their station. It would seem they vanished after receiving lump sum from the illegal selling of confiscated drugs.

Hannibal’s argument does not make sense, because they could just live peacefully without serial killing. However, Hannibal’s argument does make sense because trashes don’t deserve to live in this world to harm the innocents. These premises are probably on the unrelated sides of ethics, somewhere near utilitarianism and deontological ethics (which are on the opposite sides of ethics). Will guessed certain debates have to be held, but in the end, he joined Hannibal grumpily. 

Because screw ethics. The offer sounds enticing.

Yes, he slashed some flesh here and there. Yes, he kissed Hannibal while doing so. Yes, he enjoyed it. Ethics be damned.

**_Hannibal’s comicality, point no. 2:_ ** _No matter how smart you are, He will end up convincing you into something._

When Monday came, right after Will’s morning classes, Jack Crawford summoned him with a death glare.

“So.” Jack smiled, his fists tightly together, a storm ready to blow. “You killed Randal Tier, and now you’re living with the man who we think is the Chesapeake Ripper. Can you explain the logic of these happenings to me, Will?”

“Hannibal is in love with me.” Will said confidently and calmly. “And I’m close to making him commit a traceable crime. Just give me time, Jack.”

“And how is he going to commit a crime, then?”

“There is this man named Mason Verger. Hannibal finds him rude. That’s enough for him to kill. I will stop Hannibal before he really ends the man, and by then, you will have two witnesses.”

Jack contemplated the logic, legality, and ethicality of that scenario. There is no other FBI figure that would approve this plan that hugely smells likes illegal entrapment and outrageous government conduct.

“Alright.” Jack finally says.

 _Alright?_ Will thought. _Well, that actually works._

_*_

Things don’t usually work well when the comic gods are not on your side.

Hannibal was deeply heartbroken after learning Will Graham’s very ‘ _elaborate_ ’ ploy of seducing him to an intimate friendship. He was so besotted, so blind, that he refused to see the signs of Will’s betrayal.

If only Hannibal could see the wavering loyalty he was having for Jack, maybe the man would think twice before gutting him open and leaving him in the kitchen with their dead surrogate daughter between his fingers. The predator had pounced, and he just accepted it.

Will Graham sobbed in there for 15 minutes, thinking how Hannibal managed to severely injure Jack Crawford who had a gun, Alana who also had a gun, and Abigail who had two legs and sound judgement. All of them are bloody and open against Hannibal who only had kitchen utensils.

The profiler laid in the kitchen he once danced unwilling waltz in. He remembered when Hannibal convinced him to dance together in the tune of Claude Debussy’s pieces; so peaceful, so intimate, so innocently happy. He agreed because Hannibal shared how much he wanted to dance in the kitchen with his significant other while these songs play, basking in domestic bliss as they wait for the pies in the oven. Hannibal really do get whatever he wants in those aspects. For a moment, he pitied Hannibal for not getting what he truly wants this time.

Hannibal is probably walking in the street of Baltimore by now, bloody under the rain. No one will stop him to ask. No police car will stop by to arrest him. He will continue his dramatic walk until he reaches his new destination using his new name, because…

**_Hannibal’s comicality, point no. 1:_ ** _No matter the circumstances, nothing can stop Hannibal Lecter._

Will Graham survived the gutting a different man. The weight of regret and melancholy are the only injuries that disabled his motivation to move for months. He kept replaying the scenarios in his head, all the details that had gone wrong, all the details that had gone right, and the details that were just right. His mind palace consists of his peaceful fishing stream, but the sky is dark and grey and the water is blood. He poisoned his own palace to soak in the sadness, to welcome the gloomy days ahead, and to accept the inaction he will bring into his life.

Despite Hannibal’s influence, the profiler will never be the man Hannibal wanted. His darkness was not enough. He cannot follow all his points of comicality. Will has always been a stoppable man due to social circumstances, but now, literally anything can stop Will Graham.

**Author's Note:**

> Summary of The Comicality of Dr. Hannibal Lecter:
> 
> 1\. No matter the circumstances, nothing can stop Hannibal Lecter.  
> 2\. No matter how smart you are, He will end up convincing you into something.  
> 3\. He will eventually win, because for some reasons, you will fail without your knowledge.
> 
> Thank you for reading my 2nd fic. This is somehow tied to my first fic “Humans after all”, but is casually independent. I wanted to highlight Hannibal’s comically god-like persona as if he’s the comic Bugs Bunny who can and will do whatever he likes. It is really impossible for someone to live as efficiently as Hannibal Lecter, but that’s the beauty of his character. There’s so much room for character study.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this. I will write a new fic that serves as a direct sequel to this one.


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